Servant Events: Salvation is through faith alone. We know that God already has you doing works of service. Our role is to help you connect your good works to your faith. The service project form is a tool we used to accomplish this goal. Confirmation students are required to turn in 14 service projects forms per year of formal instruction. Research shows that families who do service events together are more successful in passing on the faith to their children.

Memory Work. Students & parents are responsible for assigned memory work. Student memory work assignments includes family discussion questions. Students will recite their memory work to a parent. Once satisfied with their student’s efforts, the parent will sign the worksheet to indicate completion of the assignment.

Statement of Faith. Qualified 8th grade students are required to provide a statement of faith that is read by them before the congregation on “Confirmation Sunday”.

Acolyte. All confirmation students will participate in the worship service as an acolyte. Training is conducted periodically through the year to equip your student for this role. Schedules are post outside the Youth Room and mailed to families quarterly.

Sunday School/Bible Study Attendance. Consider this sports analogy; You are a member of a team. One of the expectations of your coach and your team is that you show up for practices and at games. Lack of participation in practices means that you will not play on game day. Too many missed practices and you are off the team. Now, consider your level participation at church. What does that mean?

Stewardship.It is through God’s Word that the Holy Spirit works to strengthen and preserve your faith. A pledge from you to the church is one of many tangible actions that can indicate to you, your level of commitment to your relationship with Christ Jesus. Only God can see into your heart and understand your motivations. PARENTS you can easily short circuit this lesson by not monitoring to encourage or by keeping your student's commitment in their place.

The practice of confirmation is not biblically mandated but, as Arthur C. Repp points out in Confirmation in the Lutheran Church, “Despite an overemphasis on confirmation in the Lutheran Church and despite some erroneous and contradictory views associated with the practice, few Lutherans will be inclined to do away with confirmation” (181). We cannot deny or overlook the Christian education opportunity that the culture of confirmation provides the congregation. The following is our definition of confirmation:

Confirmation is a lifelong Christian educational and relational experience, within the congregation, begun when an individual comes to faith in Christ Jesus. Formal class room instruction are on Sunday nights

Confirmation is unique among the Christian educational experiences. With its instruction and public rite, no other educational process places the same demands or expectations on its students. However, it is only one of the many events or experiences in a Christian’s life. It is but one stage in what must be termed as a lifelong catechumenal process. To this end, we emphasize that this is not a graduation or a completion of something but rather, it is a beginning.

Goals of Confirmation

Throughout our lifetime, God calls and draws us to him. Unless God Himself is our teacher, we cannot study and learn anything pleasing to Him and beneficial to us and others. The believer does good, as much and as long as God guides and leads us through His Holy Spirit. If God should withdraw His gracious hand from us we could not remain in obedience to God for one moment. With this in mind, the goals recommended by the Joint Commission, with modification, are seen as appropriate for our vision of Confirmation Ministry. These goals are:

1. Understand and take ownership in their Christian faith.

• Understanding the central teachings of the church as expressed in Luther’s Small Catechism.

• Appreciation of the way in which these Christian doctrines are based on the Holy Scripture.

• To express the relevance of their Christian faith.

2. To live as a child and servant of God.

• To develop a personal relationship with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

• To reflect the love of Christ in their relationships with their peers, families, congregation, and society.

• To understand their role as member of the priesthood of all believers.

3. Grow in the life of the Christian community and its mission.

• Understand the benefits of the community of believers.

• To understand their role in the congregation’s mission and vision.

Christ Lutheran Church, Topeka, Kansas - 2008